SDO | Gallery

Curling Prominence

A small prominence observed in profile arched up and sent streams of plasma curling back into the sun over a 30-hour period (Dec. 13-14, 2017). We are observing charged particles streaming along magnetic field lines made visible in extreme ultraviolet light. Prominences are cooler strands of plasma tethered above the sun's surface by magnetic forces. They are quite unstable and frequently fall apart within hours or days. Credit: Solar Dynamics Observatory, NASA.